The present invention relates to functionalized drugs and their polymers with controllable degradation profiles, releasing the active component over a desired time range.
The drugs in the context of the present invention are defined chemically as a biologically active substance which has one or more aromatic rings and bears one or more hydroxyl, amino or carboxylic acid substituents on the ring, including functional derivatives such as esters, amides, methyl ethers, glycosides and other derivatives that are apparent to those skilled in the art. Phenol (hydroxybenzene) is the simplest example of a phenolic compound, but most phenolics have two or more hydroxyl groups and are bioactive substances occurring widely in food plants that are eaten regularly by substantial numbers of animals and people and have been found to be safe compounds. Included in the definition of biologically active phenolics are polyphenols having complex substitution patterns and compounds having condensed rings.
Examples of naturally occurring biologically active phenolics include, but are not limited to: bergaptol, caffeic acid, capsaicin, coumarin, daidzein, 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid, ferulic acid, flavonoids, glycitein (isoflavone), 4-hydroxycinnamic acid, 4-hydroxy-coumarin, isopimpinellin, resveratrol, synapic acid, vanillic acid, vanillin, and the derivatives of all of the above.
Capsaicin is a biologically active phenolic that is the active component of cayenne pepper. The capsaicins are amides of vanillylamine and C8 to C13 branched fatty acids. Topical application of capsaicin stimulates and blocks small pain fibers by depleting them of the neurotransmitter substance P that mediates pain impulses. A cream made from 0.025%-0.075% capsaicin applied 4× daily may help peripheral neuropathic pain, post-herpetic neuralgia, trigeminal neuralgia, psoriasis and fibromyalgia. It is also useful for diabetic neuropathy, cluster headaches, earache, osteo- and rheumatoid arthritis. Capsaicin is a powerful pain reliever.
Naproxen, paracetanol, acetaminophen and acetylsalicylic acid are biologically active phenolics that belong to the class of drugs called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs. The NSAIDs provide relief by blocking the action of prostaglandins, which are hormone-like substances that contribute to pain, inflammation, fever and muscle cramps.
Phenolic moieties, synthetic and naturally occurring, are part of many drugs. Examples of these medicinals include acenocoumarol, acetarsol, actinoquinol, adrenalone, alibendol, amodiaquine, anethole, balsalazide, bamethan, benserazide, bentiromide, benzarone, benzquinamide, bevantolol, bifluranol, buclosamide, bupheniode, chlorotrianisene, chloroxylenol, cianidanol, cinepazide, cinitapride, cinepazide, cinmetacin, clebopride, clemastine, clioquinol, cyclovalone, cynarine, denopamine, dextroythyroxine, diacerein, dichlorophen, dienestrol, diethylstilbestrol, diflunisal, diiodohydroxyquinoline, dilazep, dilevalol, dimestrol, dimoxyline, diosmin, dithranol, dobutamine, donepezil, dopamine, dopexamine, doxazosin, entacapone, epanolol, epimestrol, epinephrine, estradiol valerate, estriol, estriol succinate, estrone, etamivan, etamsylate, ethaverine, ethoxzolamide, ethyl biscoumacetate, etilefrine, etiroxate, exalamide, exifone, fendosal, fenoldopam mesilate, fenoterol, fenoxedil, fenticlor, flopropione, floredil, fluorescein, folescutol, formoterol, gallopamil, gentistic acid, glaziovine, glibenclamide, glucametacin, guajacol, halquinol, hexachlorophene, hexestrol, hexobendine, hexoprenaline, hexylresorcinol, hydroxyethyl salicylate, hydroxystilbamidine isethionate, hymecromone, ifenprodil, indomethacin, ipriflavone, isoetarine, isoprenaline, isoxsuprine, itopride hydrochloride, ketobemidone, khellin, labetalol, lactylphenetidin, levodopa, levomepromazine, levorphanol, levothyroxine, mebeverine, medrylamine, mefexamide, mepacrine, mesalazine, mestranol, metaraminol, methocarbamol, methoxamine, methoxsalen, methyldopa, midodrine, mitoxantrone, morclofone, nabumetone, naproxen, nitroxoline, norfenefrine, normolaxol, octopamine, omeprazole, orciprenaline, oxilofrine, oxitriptan, oxyfedrine, oxypertine, oxyphenbutazone, oxyphenisatin acetate, oxyquinoline, papaverine, paracetanol, parethoxycaine, phenacaine, phenacetin, phenazocine, phenolphthalein, phenprocoumon, phentolamine, phloedrine, picotamide, pimobendan, prenalterol, primaquine, progabide, propanidid, protokylol, proxymetacaine, raloxifene hydrochloride, repaglinide, reproterol, rimiterol, ritodrine, salacetamide, salazosulfapyridine, salbutamol, salicylamide, salicylic acid, salmeterol, salsalate, sildenafil, silibinin, sulmetozin, tamsulosin, terazosin, terbutaline, tetroxoprim, theodrenaline, tioclomarol, tioxolone, α-tocopherol (vitamin E), tofisopam, tolcapone, tolterodine, tranilast, tretoquinol, triclosan, trimazosin, trimetazidine, trimethobenzamide, trimethoprim, trimetozine, trimetrexate glucuronate, troxipide, verapamil, vesnarinone, vetrabutine, viloxazine, warfarin, xamoterol.
Other bioactive phenolics include acacetin, 4-acetamido-2-methyl-1-naphthol, acetaminophen, albuterol, allenolic acid, aloe emodin, aloin, β-amino-4-hydroxy-3,5-diiodohydrocinnamic acid, N-(5-amino-2-hydroxyphenyl)-benzeneacetamide, 4-amino-1-naphthol, 3-aminosalicylic acid, 4-aminosalicylic acid, anacardic acid, p-anol, anthragallol, anthralin, anthranol, anthrarobin, anthrarufin, apigenin, apiin, apocynin, aspidinol, aspirin, baptigenin, benzestrol, benzoresorcinol, bisphenol a, bisphenol b, butylated hydroxylanisole, butylated hydroxytoluene, capobenic acid, trans-1-(3′-carboxy-4′-hydroxyphenyl)-2-(2″,5″-dihydroxyphenyl)ethane, catechin, chlorogenic acid, m-chlorophenol, 5-chloro-8-quinolinol, chloroxylenol, chlorquinaldol, chromonar, chrysin, cinametic acid, clorophene, coniferyl alcohol, p-coumaric acid, coumestrol, coumetarol, daphnetin, datiscetin, deoxyepinephrine, 3,5-diiodothyronine, 3,5-diiodotyrosine, dimethophrine, diosmetin, diresorcinol, disoprofol, dopa, dopamine, drosophilin a, efloxate, ellagic acid, embelin, Equol, eriodictyol, esculetin, esculin, ethylnorepinephrine, ethyl vanillin, eugenol, eupatorin, fenadiazole, ferulic acid, fisetin, 3-fluoro-4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, fraxetin, fustin, galangin, gallacetophenone, gallic acid, gardenins, genistein, gentisyl alcohol, gepefrine, geranylhydroquinone, [6]-gingerol, gossypol, guaiacol, guaifenesin, harmalol, hematoxylin, hinderin, homoeriodictyol, homogentisic acid, homovanillic acid, hydroxyamphetamine, 2-hydroxy-5-(2,5-dihydroxybenzylamino)-2-hydroxybenzoic acid, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxymandelic acid, n-(p-hydroxyphenyl)glycine, hydroxyprocaine, 8-hydroxyquinoline, hypericin, irigenin, isoproterenol, isoquercitrin, isothebaine, kaempferol, liothyronine, luteolin, mangostin, 5,5′-methylenedisalicylic acid, n-methylepinephrine, metyrosine, morin, mycophenolic acid, myricetin, naringenin, nylidrin, orcinol, osalmid, osthole, oxantel, paroxypropione, pentachlorophenol, 3-pentadecylcatechol, p-pentyloxyphenol, phloretin, phloroglucinol, pinosylvine, plumbagin, pyrocatechol, pyrogallol, quercetagetin, quercetin, resacetophenone, rhamnetin, rhein, sakuranetin, salicyl alcohol, salicylanilide, 4-salicyloylmorpholine, salsalate, scopoletin, scutellarein, serotonin, (3,4,5-trihydroxyphenyl)methylenepropanedinitrile, thymol, thyropropic acid, thyroxine, tiratricol, tyrosine, vanillic acid, vanillin.
Examples of biologically active amino compounds include Aceclofenac, Acediasulfone, Alminoprofen, Amisulpride, Amlexanox, Amodiaquine, Amosulalol, Amoxicillin, Amsacrine, Anileridine, Azacyclonol, Baccofen, Balsalazide sodium, Benzocaine, Bromopride, Bumetanide, Carprofen, Carvedilol, Carzenide, Cefprozil, Cinitapride, Clebopride, Clenbuterol, Diclofenac, Ethoxzolamide, Flufenamic acid, Furosemide, Iobenzamic acid, Iocetamic acid, Mefenamic acid, Nadoxolol, D-Norpseudoephedrine and paracetamol.
Examples of biologically active carboxylic acid compounds include Acemetacin, Aceclofenac, Acediasulfone, Adipiodone, Alminoprofen, Amlexanox, Anileridine, Baccofen, Balsalazide sodium, Bentiromide, Benzocaine, Bumetanide, Carprofen, Carzenide, Cinmetacin, Clometacin, Cromoglicic acid, Diclofenac, Diflunisal, Eprosartan, Fendosal, Flufenamic acid, Furosemide, Indometacin, Iobenzamic acid, Iocarmic acid, Iocetamic acid, Iodoxamic acid, Ioglycamic acid, Iophenoic acid, Iotroxic acid, Mefenamic acid, Naproxen, Nedocromil, Repaglinide, Salazosulfapyridine, Salicylic Acid, Salsalate, Sarpogrelate.
While the above phenolic compounds have various known beneficial uses, they generally are difficult to dissolve in water or the human body or hydrolyze. They are also very difficult to polymerize in the phenolic state. There is also a need to control their rate of action and/or to delay or sustain their efficacy.